Narrative:

During cruise flight, at 11000 ft MSL, tracking toward bwi VOR we encountered wake turbulence. Looking ahead, I could see what appeared to be a C5 military transport in front of us. I asked approach if we could get higher, because we were picking up his wake. He responded that we did not appear to be flying the 085 degree radial off the VOR which was previously assigned. He said that he would appreciate us telling him if we were not going to make the turn, because he relies on it for separation purposes. My first officer was just about to make the turn at the VOR, when we encountered the turbulence. However, the turn was not made as anticipated because we were maintaining control of the aircraft, and then we started the turn, but it was shallow to avoid a large cumulus buildup. We were turning for the radial, and we both noted that we were less than 4 DME from the VOR, which meant at 11000 ft, we were slightly over 2 mi away from the boundary. After being handed off to center, I re-contacted the controller on the other radio. I asked if we needed to file any paperwork on the matter, and he said that it was no problem this time, but that he really needs the turn to be made quickly at the VOR. We both agreed that we can work better together the next time around. I think that in an ideal situation, our clearance to fly the radial would have separated us from the traffic ahead, but somehow we encountered some wake, which distracted us, and caused us to start the turn later than we had planned. I think in the future I might start the turn earlier than we had, so long as we are within the airway boundary. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that this incident was not a wake turbulence problem. The first officer delayed the 15 degree turn and the reporter captain was not watching their ground track that closely. Reporter feels they were always in limits of the width of the airway, however, the TRACON controller was quick to reprimand them for not making the turn exactly at the right point. This, the reporter states, made it intimidating. Reporter called the controller on another frequency because he was upset with the way the controller talked with him. Controller reassured him there was no problem. Reporter also stated there was no loss of control from any wake turbulence. Aircraft was always in full control and there were no rolling actions taking place. Reporter was invited to participate in the structured wake turbulence study but reporter felt the wake turbulence encounter was insignificant.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LTT HAS A NAV DEV WHILE ENCOUNTERING SOME WAKE TURB IN BWI AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT, AT 11000 FT MSL, TRACKING TOWARD BWI VOR WE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB. LOOKING AHEAD, I COULD SEE WHAT APPEARED TO BE A C5 MIL TRANSPORT IN FRONT OF US. I ASKED APCH IF WE COULD GET HIGHER, BECAUSE WE WERE PICKING UP HIS WAKE. HE RESPONDED THAT WE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE FLYING THE 085 DEG RADIAL OFF THE VOR WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD APPRECIATE US TELLING HIM IF WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE TURN, BECAUSE HE RELIES ON IT FOR SEPARATION PURPOSES. MY FO WAS JUST ABOUT TO MAKE THE TURN AT THE VOR, WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED THE TURB. HOWEVER, THE TURN WAS NOT MADE AS ANTICIPATED BECAUSE WE WERE MAINTAINING CTL OF THE ACFT, AND THEN WE STARTED THE TURN, BUT IT WAS SHALLOW TO AVOID A LARGE CUMULUS BUILDUP. WE WERE TURNING FOR THE RADIAL, AND WE BOTH NOTED THAT WE WERE LESS THAN 4 DME FROM THE VOR, WHICH MEANT AT 11000 FT, WE WERE SLIGHTLY OVER 2 MI AWAY FROM THE BOUNDARY. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO CTR, I RE-CONTACTED THE CTLR ON THE OTHER RADIO. I ASKED IF WE NEEDED TO FILE ANY PAPERWORK ON THE MATTER, AND HE SAID THAT IT WAS NO PROB THIS TIME, BUT THAT HE REALLY NEEDS THE TURN TO BE MADE QUICKLY AT THE VOR. WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE CAN WORK BETTER TOGETHER THE NEXT TIME AROUND. I THINK THAT IN AN IDEAL SIT, OUR CLRNC TO FLY THE RADIAL WOULD HAVE SEPARATED US FROM THE TFC AHEAD, BUT SOMEHOW WE ENCOUNTERED SOME WAKE, WHICH DISTRACTED US, AND CAUSED US TO START THE TURN LATER THAN WE HAD PLANNED. I THINK IN THE FUTURE I MIGHT START THE TURN EARLIER THAN WE HAD, SO LONG AS WE ARE WITHIN THE AIRWAY BOUNDARY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS NOT A WAKE TURB PROB. THE FO DELAYED THE 15 DEG TURN AND THE RPTR CAPT WAS NOT WATCHING THEIR GND TRACK THAT CLOSELY. RPTR FEELS THEY WERE ALWAYS IN LIMITS OF THE WIDTH OF THE AIRWAY, HOWEVER, THE TRACON CTLR WAS QUICK TO REPRIMAND THEM FOR NOT MAKING THE TURN EXACTLY AT THE RIGHT POINT. THIS, THE RPTR STATES, MADE IT INTIMIDATING. RPTR CALLED THE CTLR ON ANOTHER FREQ BECAUSE HE WAS UPSET WITH THE WAY THE CTLR TALKED WITH HIM. CTLR REASSURED HIM THERE WAS NO PROB. RPTR ALSO STATED THERE WAS NO LOSS OF CTL FROM ANY WAKE TURB. ACFT WAS ALWAYS IN FULL CTL AND THERE WERE NO ROLLING ACTIONS TAKING PLACE. RPTR WAS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STRUCTURED WAKE TURB STUDY BUT RPTR FELT THE WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER WAS INSIGNIFICANT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.